Reasonable doubt vs ILLmatic: which has aged better?
Options
Comments
-
Despite the fact that Illmatic made an immediate impression and impact, it also started a number of subtle trends that have improved its standing even more over time. Pre Illmatic, it was most common for an artist to have a single producer or DJ who would produce their entire project (Eric B and Rakim, Snoop & Dre, Ice Cube and The Bomb Squad, Wu-Tang and RZA) and if they didn't have that, they would have a small crew of in house producers who would craft their beats (like Ready To Die with Easy Mo B and Puffy). Illmatic was the first time an artist accumulated all of the biggest producers in the game at that time to contribute to a single project. It was unprecendented and it's now become the common practice. It's gotten to the point where its like if you call yourself a big dog in the rap game, you have to have at least one beat on your project from every big shot producer. You can see it in releases shortly following Illmatic like Vol. 2 from Jay all the way to the latest Drake and Nicki releases. Another way Illmatic has influenced artists is the whole babies/children on covers thing but let's not get into that.
-
Reasonable Doubt for me, I was too young for the impact that Illmatic had on individuals, but even at 26, listening to it, just doesn't do anything for me. 15 Years later, and I'm still amazed at what Jay delivered with Reasonable Doubt. That's probably the one CD that will stand the test of time with me. Of course I listen to tracks after tracks from artist from the 90's, and Illmatic was lyrically on a whole another level when it dropped, but other than Mobb Deep's Murda Muzik, there really isn't a CD that I will forever enjoy listening too from beginning to end fully attentive.
-
NothingButTheTruth wrote: »Illmatic, RD has no replay value.
This^^exactly how I felt at age 11 or 12 and exactly how I feel now. I was a fan of both but I remember rockin to RD for about 2-3 weeks and it began to really bore me. On the other hand I remember rockin Illmatic well into 95, play it from beginning to end no skips. Though I felt RD was dope after about 3 weeks I would only replay that tracks I really liked.
Some say Illmatic sounds dated because it sounds like "old school" hip hop but that's exactly why I love it. If saying something hasn't aged well means beats and flows that aren't modern or you wouldn't hear today than absolutely RD has aged better but Illmatic is a timeless classic in a very artistical way. Illmatic sucks you into a world through the eyes of a young brotha from Queens NY circa 91, 92 so it's suppose to sound dated.
-
double post
-
double post
-
double post
-
double post
-
double post
-
double post
-
double post
-
I sometimes wonder if Jay-Z didn't blow up, whether we would be saying all the amazing things we are saying about RD today. I know for a fact that when Illmatic was released, it was hailed as a landmark album and a masterpiece. If Nas died or fell off, we would still look back and say all the crazy things we say about it today. RD, on the other hand, seems more like Doe or Die than Illmatic -- a really dope album, amid a string of other notable albums that came out during that same period...but probably nothing more. Am I wrong to assume that?
As far as dated sounds go, of course RD sounds less dated, when you consider how much production values had improved....but datedness is just one way of critiquing albums. You have to take it all in context of what else was being played. For instance, Breaking Atoms and Critical Beatdown are certainly more dated than RD, but their production was still ahead of its time and so innovative. Besides, much of the hip hop I enjoy sounds dated, but I could give a ? either way, because dope is dope!
